Oct 16, 2017

Gun-related ER visits by type of gun

From 2006 to 2014, handgun-related injuries sent 190,396 people to emergency rooms in the U.S. — and that number excludes those who died before they could go to the hospital, and incidents involving people who never sought medical help.

Data: Health Affairs, authors' analysis of Nationwide Emergency Department Sample; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios
Data: Health Affairs, authors' analysis of Nationwide Emergency Department Sample; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

Key takeaways:

  • The most ER visits from 2006 to 2014 — 457,492 — were caused by guns classified as "other," but handguns were the single most deadly gun type.
  • Assaults typically involved handguns and shotguns, compared to hunting rifles and military rifles which caused higher shares of accidental injuries or deaths.
  • Of the 190,396 people who visited the ER in handgun-related incidents, 55% were victims of assault.
  • Shotguns caused 41,500 ER visits, of which 47% were related to assaults.
Go deeper